Thursday 13/08/15

Every household has at least one pair of scissors. It is likely your house has four or five pairs. But what about your emergency gear or your Bug Out Bag; have you included a pair of scissors? They don’t have to be expensive, but they do have to be good quality.

Some pocket knives and many multi-tools include a pair of scissors, so having a pair with you won’t take up any extra room in your pack. By now you might be asking yourself “What’s so important about scissors? Why would I need them if I have a knife?”.

Yes, they both cut things, but even in the wilderness you will eventually require the precision of a pair of scissors that a knife cannot provide.

  • Cutting your toenails. If you’re away from home for a week or two, you will eventually need to cut your toenails. Do you really want to try cutting your toenails with your hunting knife?
  • Cutting gauze (or some other material) into small pieces. If you’ve been injured, you want to make the gauze in your First-Aid kit last as long as possible. Cutting gauze into pieces with a knife is annoying and potentially wasteful. Scissors will allow you to only use the amount of gauze you need to.
  • It is safer to use scissors instead of a knife to open some food packaging.
  • Depending on how long you are away from civilisation, you may need to trim your facial hair. Definitely not a job for your hunting knife.

I know scissors aren’t the most interesting item you’ll include in your pack, but they are definitely worth including.